[D4 LM] The Third Break: Joust Main Event Observation

[Davelyn Sand]

"I haven't decided." Derrick said honestly. "I doubt I'd be much of a match for any of the knights I've seen so far." He wasn't particularly good in the saddle after all. "I am somewhat curious how I would do though."

"Are you planning to complete, Ser?"

"I am planning on competing. I would like to see how my skills stack against the northern knights. I have faith in Sir Thaudrey's education and my devotion to training. Who trained you Derrick? A skilled knight I'm sure."

[Arwyn Forrester]

"Perfect! I'm excited. I am free most of tomorrow, save for the events. A friend suggested riding down by the river. I normally ride at the edge of the woods but I have not been brave enough to venture in alone." Kaelyn smiled. "Are the horses in the North bred to handle the cold weather? I mean, they must be, but how do you keep them warm enough?"

"By the river sounds great!"

"Well, believe it or not, horses are really good with cold weather if you let them grow out their natural winter coat," she replies with a smile. "I have a Palfrey as well, and he's just a Palfrey. You need to feed them extra and give them shelter so they can stay dry in the snow. Sometimes a blanket is good if it get really cold, but they're mostly fine. Keeping up with the extra feed requirement can be the kicker in winter, so we always have to stay ready for that."

[Kaliya Redding]

Kaliya breezed into the stands, her face perfectly polite and perfectly unreadable.


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[Kaelyn Dunn]

"During the storm here, all I could think about was Tyana in her makeshift stable. I've never been the best with storms, but I'm usually inside stone walls." she laughed a bit at herself. "I was in my tent hiding from the thunder, but poor Tyana and the rain... I gave her some extra attention after that. But all of that must pale in comparison to winter in the North.." Kaelyn shook her head.

"Not to become terribly serious and intrusive, but I was raised with a Septa. Do they have a counterpart for the Old Gods?"

[Arwyn Forrester]

"Poor thing... if nothing else, the wind can thunder and spook them a little. I tried to spend a little extra time with Solys, and the hounds as well," she replied with a sympathetic smile. "Winter does get intense... Ironrath is even a little farther north than Winterfell. Thunder and lightening during snow is an very different experience than during rain, I think."

"Mm... no, not really. The Old Gods don't really have a clergy in general. It's not really a... complex religion," she replies, voice simply explanatory in tone.

[Derrick]

"I am planning on competing. I would like to see how my skills stack against the northern knights. I have faith in Sir Thaudrey's education and my devotion to training. Who trained you Derrick? A skilled knight I'm sure."

"I wish you the best of luck in the future then, Ser." As the topic changed to who trained him he shook his head. "I wasn't really trained too much by a knight, Ser. I learned a lot of my skills from my father, along with other members of the guard. I was mostly raised in the barracks after all. I've learned most of what i know about jousting from helping others train, and what little I know of horses from working in the stables ehen I was younger."

[Kaelyn Dunn]

"I think I would like to see a Weirwood. Even if I've never worshiped the Old Gods before, it must be a spiritual experience to be around such a beautiful tree with the carvings. Something ancient..." Kaelyn realized she probably had a starry-eyed look about her and came back down to earth. "Sorry. I enjoy reading quite a lot and I've seen depictions of the Weirwoods."

[Arwyn Forrester]

"They're beautiful trees..." Arwyn sighed with a nostalgic smile. It made her miss home a little, thinking of the godswood there. "I think it is. I spent a lot of time in the godswood at home as a child. Perhaps if things go as planned, you could come up and visit to see it."

[Davelyn Sand]

"I wish you the best of luck in the future then, Ser." As the topic changed to who trained him he shook his head. "I wasn't really trained too much by a knight, Ser. I learned a lot of my skills from my father, along with other members of the guard. I was mostly raised in the barracks after all. I've learned most of what i know about jousting from helping others train, and what little I know of horses from working in the stables ehen I was younger."

"A natural talent then," he says with a friendly chuckle. "You are quite gifted. There were some among those competing that had been more completely trained, I am sure. If you lived in the Stormlands I would ask if you wished to actually squire under me at Cragfort, and honestly if that isn't a bar for you the offer does stand. Though I suspect Algood would be loathe to lose such a talented young man. I suspect you would not have to wait long if you trained with a knight in earnest Derrick."

[Kaelyn Dunn]

"I would love that. I haven't traveled much and I would love to see more of Westeros. And Essos, truth told. But I'd be content with the North and the Vale. I've been with my Mother to Dorne to see her family a few times, and once I went to the Riverlands. But none except the North have Weirwoods anymore, or so I've read. But you pray through them?"

[Arwyn Forrester]

"I would love that. I haven't traveled much and I would love to see more of Westeros. And Essos, truth told. But I'd be content with the North and the Vale. I've been with my Mother to Dorne to see her family a few times, and once I went to the Riverlands. But none except the North have Weirwoods anymore, or so I've read. But you pray through them?"

"Oh, me, too... I'd love to travel everywhere. This is my first time leaving the North," she replies warmly. Kaelyn was a woman after her own heart, really. It was like meeting a sister you never knew. "Um... well... I suppose? But I think you can pray to the Old Gods wherever there's an abundance of nature. They're gods of the trees and wind and stone, so they're never too far off. The godswoods and the weirwoods are specifically sacred to them, though."

[Ser Reynard]

Reynard and Roycelyn Goodbrook are in the stands as well. They nod and smile at Lady Kaliya from the prior evening, and similarly nod to others they recognize. Those who look closely may notice a hint of extra tension in Ser Reynard, though he's doing a fairly good job of hiding it.

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[Derrick]

"A natural talent then," he says with a friendly chuckle. "You are quite gifted. There were some among those competing that had been more completely trained, I am sure. If you lived in the Stormlands I would ask if you wished to actually squire under me at Cragfort, and honestly if that isn't a bar for you the offer does stand. Though I suspect Algood would be loathe to lose such a talented young man. I suspect you would not have to wait long if you trained with a knight in earnest Derrick."

"I thank you for the offer Ser. I am a retainer of House Algood though, and I won't leave my lird's service without his permission. If you are truly interested though, you can always approach him about it. I won't stand in your way." He smiled slightly. "As you said though, he may be loathe to agree."

[Davelyn Sand]

"I may just do that. And if nothing else, it may motivate him to have a knight take you on. Which should have already happened with your skills." A wide smile tells the boy that he probably will do exactly that. "But good on you for recognizing the importance of duty. Just another lesson you needn't be taught."

[Kaelyn Dunn]

"Oh, me, too... I'd love to travel everywhere. This is my first time leaving the North," she replies warmly. Kaelyn was a woman after her own heart, really. It was like meeting a sister you never knew. "Um... well... I suppose? But I think you can pray to the Old Gods wherever there's an abundance of nature. They're gods of the trees and wind and stone, so they're never too far off. The godswoods and the weirwoods are specifically sacred to them, though."

"That's beautiful." she mused sincerely. "Communing with nature in a small way. Perhaps I'm closer to the Old Gods than I thought. I love nature and the creatures that reside within it. I have a fondness for animals..." She trailed off, thinking about her dreams last night and what it lead to. She coughed to regain posture. "If you could pick any place in the world, where would you go?"

[Kevan Dunn]

Kevan sat nearby and was eavesdropping, though used someone else's sitting body to not be apparent to both ladies. Funny how he had asked Arwyn a very similar question not so long ago. Now he wondered if the answer would be the same.

[Arwyn Forrester]

"That's beautiful." she mused sincerely. "Communing with nature in a small way. Perhaps I'm closer to the Old Gods than I thought. I love nature and the creatures that reside within it. I have a fondness for animals..." She trailed off, thinking about her dreams last night and what it lead to. She coughed to regain posture. "If you could pick any place in the world, where would you go?"

Unaware of the individual eavesdropping on them, facing away from where he was to begin with, she answers the question much the same. "Mm... Truth be told, I want to see more of the Reach before anything... I'd like to know the place I am hoping to make my home better. Someday I'd like to travel to some of the cities across the Narrow Sea."

[Derrick]

"I may just do that. And if nothing else, it may motivate him to have a knight take you on. Which should have already happened with your skills." A wide smile tells the boy that he probably will do exactly that. "But good on you for recognizing the importance of duty. Just another lesson you needn't be taught."

That might just make two people aiming for the same thing. Lady Cassana had seemed rather intrested in finding him someone to squire under after all. "Thank you, Ser. My father has always tried to stress the importance of duty, and loyalty to ones Lord." they weren't sell sword after all.

[Kaelyn Dunn]

Unaware of the individual eavesdropping on them, facing away from where he was to begin with, she answers the question much the same. "Mm... Truth be told, I want to see more of the Reach before anything... I'd like to know the place I am hoping to make my home better. Someday I'd like to travel to some of the cities across the Narrow Sea."

"How soon must you travel back north? Do you suppose your return could be delayed if a new friend insisted upon taking you on a small tour?" Kaelyn asked leadingly. She knew Lord Kevan would want to accompany them, but she was certain her Mother and maybe even Tomas could come along to safeguard the virtue of everyone involved.

[Davelyn Sand]

That might just make two people aiming for the same thing. Lady Cassana had seemed rather intrested in finding him someone to squire under after all. "Thank you, Ser. My father has always tried to stress the importance of duty, and loyalty to ones Lord." they weren't sell sword after all.

"I look forward to hearing tales of the mighty, skilled, and loyal Ser Derrick one day. Your father is no doubt proud of you, or will be when he hears the news if he hasn't already."

[Arwyn Forrester]

"How soon must you travel back north? Do you suppose your return could be delayed if a new friend insisted upon taking you on a small tour?" Kaelyn asked leadingly. She knew Lord Kevan would want to accompany them, but she was certain her Mother and maybe even Tomas could come along to safeguard the virtue of everyone involved.

She sighs and shakes her head a little. "I have to return to Ironrath to let my father know of everything agreed upon here as soon as possible afterward... We might be making preparations to send my brother to help the Wydmans for a year and some other things..." She smiles. "I hope we can make time for it in the future, though... I'd very much like to see the Reach through your eyes."

[Derrick]

"It's probably a bit too early for that, Ser." Derrick replied with a ghost of a smile. "You are right though, my father would be proud." It was something the old man wanted after all.

"Do you think you will do well in the joust though? After having a look at these northern knights that is?"

[Davelyn Sand]

"Well, they are all extremely skilled and I cannot know for certain until I face them... but I think I have something they may not. My Qitam. He may not be the strongest or fastest horse in Westeros, but we know each other better than some brothers I think. I was there for his birth, helped out in fact, and when we ride it is like we are one. So I think that will be my strongest advantage. Many of these knights have been jousting for many years though, and I cannot hope to compete with their talent or training I think. All I know is I will do my best and if that is enough then that is enough. It will be my first joust after all. So I also won't be disappointed if it the break does not go my way."

[Desmond Terrick]

Desmond sat near Ser Reynard and Roycelyn, with Walder curled up beside him.

[Ser Reynard]

"Good morning, Lord Desmond," Reynard said respectfully, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb Walder. "Yes, good morning, my lord," Roycelyn echoed, her voice warmer and more polite than usual. The knight took the lead: "How does the morning find you?"